Thomas Becon
Thomas Becon was an influential figure in the English Reformation, born around 1512. He pursued his education at Cambridge University, where he encountered Lutheran ideas and Reformed theology, heavily influenced by the sermons of Hugh Latimer. After receiving his B.A. in 1531, Becon was ordained as a priest in 1533 and served as a parish priest in Ipswich, gaining recognition for his sermons and support for the King's supremacy. However, in 1540, faced with challenges to his views, he chose to live under a pseudonym, Theodore Basille, rather than go into exile. Transitioning from preaching to writing, Becon produced numerous works that merged elements of Protestant sermons and Reformation tracts, relying on Scripture and early Church Fathers for validation. His writings played a significant role in shaping popular piety during the Reformation and are noted for their pastoral and polemic blend. Becon was a respected figure in his time, even serving as chaplain to Thomas Cranmer, the Reformed Archbishop of Canterbury. Despite many of his books being burned, his works have been preserved and continue to be an important resource for understanding the theological landscape of his era.
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Thomas Becon
Writer
- Born: c. 1512
- Birthplace: Norfolk, England
- Died: June 30, 1567
- Place of death: England
Biography
Thomas Becon was born around 1512. His father died when Becon was young, and his mother remarried. Around 1531, Becon earned his B.A. at Cambridge University; at the time, the school was known for its Lutheran leanings. There Becon was introduced to Reformed theology through the sermons of Hugh Latimer, whose direct and engaging style would serve as the model for his own successful preaching. After leaving Cambridge, Becon entered the community of religious scholars at the College of Saint John Evangelist, where he was ordained priest in 1533.
In 1538, Thomas Becon served as a parish priest to the parishioners of St. Lawrence, Ipswich, where he was regarded as “well learned, a true preacher of the word of God, a great setter forth. . . of the King’s most just and lawful title of supremacy, approved by God’s word.” In 1540, though, he had to recant his views. Rejecting exile, he lived under the layman’s name of Theodore Basille. From then on, Becon sought to teach the masses through writing rather than preaching.
Becon’s writings bridge the distance between Protestant sermon and Reformation tract. Becon uses Scripture as his writings’ source and validation, and he ignores Renaissance literary preoccupations with classical forms and models, instead employing many patristic authors and, more rarely, those of classical antiquity. As the second generation of Protestants began to review their theological roots, Becon adapted his style to reach this larger and increasingly more sophisticated audiences. Famous in his time as a stirring preacher along the lines of Latimer and as a highly regarded composer of prayers, Becon blended pastoral and polemic concerns, and his works remain important sources for understanding popular piety in the English Reformation. He was appreciated in his day and served as the chaplain to the Reformed Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. A prolific writer whose many books were burned by proclamation decreed in July, 1546, Thomas Becon’s works survived in the volumes of writings of the Reformed English Protestants (published by the Parker Society).